Automatic telephone apparatus



June 9, 1936. A, B E 2,043,526

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE APPARATUS Filed May 31, 1933 '5 Sheets-Sheet l ass226 r94 H250 Bow:

A TTOB/VEYS June 9, 1936. BQYE 2,043,526

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE APPARATUS Filed May 31, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June9, 1936. AMBQYE AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed.May 31, 1935 l/vl /vrog 9 50 50 ml:

I9 770/? NE Y5 Patented June 9, 1936 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICEApplication May 31, 1933, Serial No. 673,686 In France June 4, 1932 4Claims.

This invention relates to a device designed to be utilized in automatictelephony for making calls, which comprises a rotary switch hereinaftercalled the short circuit switch movable upon its shaft, which operateswhen coming in engagement with teeth and the like carried uponstationary crowns in order to set free electric current impulses whichare sent in the line by means of a second switch operating at a regularcadency in order to compose the call signal of the station to beconnected.

The present apparatus is characterized firstly in that the toothedcrowns consist in a plate made in one piece having a circular recessprovided on its edge with the teeth required for making up the callsignal of the desired station, and with a large opening ending in saidrecess to allow the passage of a movable device, integral with a runnerthat controls the movements of the short circuit switch upon its shaft.

Another feature of this invention consists in that the aforesaid plateswhich are hereinafter called the call plates are engaged in verticalparallel slots provided in a box which is removable from the apparatusframe, said box being provided with a front opening which allows itsadjustment through a simple sliding movement along the shaft upon whichthe short circuit switch is mounted, thus allowing the box to be removedwithout any dificulty, for example for changing the table of the calls,it being then looked in position by means of springs integral with theframe of the apparatus. Each call plate may be provided with two sidepawls acting as springs which engage in the horizontal slots in theaforesaid box, so as to lock said plate vertically.

Another feature of the present invention consists in the provision ofone or a plurality of supplementary vertical slots which allow of addingone or more call plates and of changing them frequently in order toincrease and modify the extent of the table of calls, the slot or slotsbeing formed in a stationary or a slidable part forming the bottom ofthe aforesaid plate box.

Another characteristic consists in that the short circuit switch and itsoperating finger are mounted in a kind of drum which is slidably mountedupon a rotary shaft and is provided with a slot. A fork integral withthe runner placed upon the upper surface of the apparatus engages saidslot.

Still another feature of the invention consists in that the fingeroperating the short circuit switch is arranged so as to actuate anothercontact for shortcircuiting the microphone and the receiver when theelectric current impulses are sent in the line.

The invention has also for its object a modification in which theapparatus has only one single vertical slot for one single plate whichmay be replaced at will, this allowing of having a switch which is fixedin the longitudinal direction and also of greatly reducing the size ofthe apparatus.

The invention has lastly for its object another modification in whichthe contact of the short circuit switch and the contact for shortcircuiting the microphone and the receiver are made stationary upon theapparatus and operated by a sleeve concentric with the driving shaft ofa part which carries the finger which engages with the teeth providedupon the call plates, said sleeve being provided with notches upon oneedge of which said finger acts when it is pushed back by the teeth so asto produce a longitudinal component which causes the sleeve to slideupon the shaft in the required direction for operating the contacts. 5

The appended drawings show by way of example, one mode of execution ofthe various modifications of the apparatus hereinbefore mentioned.

Fig. 1 is a part sectional view of a first mode of execution.

Fig. 1a is a separate view of the female part of a multiple contact plugfor connecting the apparatus with the telephone station.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the plane A-A of Fig. l, supposing theswitch to have been displaced of a turn relatively to the position shownin Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is another section taken on the plane B--B of Fig. l in thedirection of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a diagram of the electric connections.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation drawn on a smaller scale.

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of the modification in which thecontacts are fixed upon the apparatus and are driven by a sleeveconcentric to the driving shaft.

Referring now to the drawings it will be seen that the apparatuscomprises a frame 200 which carries a clockwork motor 29! wound up bydepressing a hand lever 2S2. This movement causes a, pinion 28 l keyedupon the motor shaft 20] to slide under a pawl 25 integral with adriving wheel 29 i so that when the hand lever is set free the pinion29W returning in the opposite direction draws the pawl and the drivingwheel 2M along. This wheel drives by the intermediary of suitable gearsthe shaft 203 of a cam 204 which as it rotates at a constant speed opensat a regular cadency a contact 295-406 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Thewheel 26F also drives a shaft 23'! carried upon the frame and providedwith a long extension outside said frame. Four bus-bars 2e9 2e9 2l0 -2l(i are fixed between two arms 22B upon said extension these bars beinginparallel and located in the same plane that passes through the axis ofthe shaft 201.

A drum 213 is slidably secured upon the shaft 221, and a radial finger2M slidably mounted in a boss of said drum, is forced outwards by twospring blades H5 226 of which the first constitutes with another blade2l5 the short circuit switch, the second constituting with another blade2H3 the switch designed for shortcircuiting the microphone and thereceiver during the call. When inoperative, the contact 2 l 5 -2 i 5 isclosed and the contact 2I6 2l6 is open.

These blades are all adjusted in the drum 2I3 and by their extremityopposite to the contact are in frictional engagement as follows:

The blade 2l5 upon bar 283 blade 2l5 upon bar 239 blade 2i6 upon bar 2Nand blade Zlii upon bar 2H9; the four bars 209 229 2W 2W passing througha large opening 2l3 in said drum. As they rotate with the shaft 201, thebars frictionally engage with four concentric crowns 2H 2|1 218 H8embedded in, the outer wall of frame 260.

Considering the diagrammatic View in Fig. 4, it will be seen that saidcrowns are connected by wires 219 M9 220 220 to the four plugs b b b 1)of a male contacting element 22], the female element of which carriesfour contact pieces a a2, a 11 The contact pieces al, a are mounted inseries in the telephone line L through the conductors 223 223 and thecontact pieces a a are shunted at the terminals of the microphone M andof the receiver B through the conductors 224 224 It will also be seen inFig. .4 that the contact piece 235-266 actuated to produce the openingthrough the cam or breaking device 2% is shunted upon the conductors 2l92I9 and therefore relatively to the short circuit switch H5 2!? and viceversa. When the apparatus is inoperative, both contact pieces 295203 and2E 5 2l5 are closed.

Referring again to Figs. 1, 1w, it will be seen that the male contactingelement 22! is secured upon one side of the frame, and that the femalepart 222 is removable and is connected with the station through theconductors 223 223 224 224 The contact pieces al at which are materiallyconstituted by blades and are provided with pins 0 c which enter in theblock 222 and engage the groovesd d of the corresponding plugs 12 b whenin their position of engagement are maintained by said pins out ofcontact with a small conducting bar e. On the contrary, when the femalepart is taken out, said contact pieces engage the small bar e and inthis manner the interruption in the line between d a disappears and thestation is restored to its normal state, the contact pieces a a beingshunted and having no longer any action to perform.

In this mode of execution the call plates 225 are made in one pieceprovided with a middle recess 225 carrying along its edge an interruptedrow of teeth designed to force back the finger 2 M in order to open thecontact H5 215 so that the interruptions produced by the cam 204 whichopens the contact 205-226 are felt along the line. Consequently the rowof teeth comprises several portions each extending upon an arc of acircle having a predetermined length in function with the number ofinterruptions to be allowed. In Paris for instance where the teeth ineach plate comprise I arcs of a circle corresponding to three lettersand four digits required for making up the call signal of the calledstation, for example TRU 529l, there is one plate for every station tobe called and the apparatus comprises for instance 50 plates composingthe table of the calls most frequently asked by the user. These platesare inserted in vertical slots 226 following one another made in a box221 which is also provided upon its sides with two horizontal slots 22s.The plates are each provided with two suitable pawls 229 which when atrest before being engaged by the groove 226 are slightly deviatedrelatively to the plane of the plate. When the plate reaches the end ofits stroke in its slot the pawls 223 which are in the horizontal slots228 return to their inclined position thus preventing the verticaldisplacements of the plate.

The plates are adjusted in the box 221 before mounting the same upon theapparatus; they are provided with a wide notch 230 ending in the recess225 which allows of putting it in position by moving it lengthwise upona bed Zllll of the frame 200, the recess 225 being of a suitable size toallow the passage of the drum M3, the notch 238 being also sufficientlylarge to allow the passage of the body of a runner 231 which by theintermediary of a fork 23E entering in a groove 213 in said drum, servesto move the latter and consequently the short circuit switch. When thebox has been completely engaged it is locked in position by springs 232mounted upon the frame 200 by means of pins 233 which engage a verticalslot 234 in said box as will be seen in Figs. 1 and 5.

A part 235 presenting a bearing surface 236, for the end of the shaft20'! is removably mounted in any suitable manner at the end of the box22?. This part is also provided with a groove 23'! which allows theadjustment of any supplementary call plate which is not recorded in theordinary table of calls. This call plate will be taken from a case inwhich the user keeps in store a certain number of plates correspondingto calls that are seldom asked for. The user may however have aplurality of boxes 22! for difierent classes of callers; customers,tradesmen, etc.

The box 221 is also provided with a horizontal plate 238 (Fig. 5)forming a cover which is slit to allow the movement of the runner 23!which carries the table of the telephone subscribers corresponding tothe various call plates contained in said box. The runner is providedwith indexes 239 which allow of stopping exactly upon the various marksdrawn upon the plate 238.

The mode of operation is as follows;

The operator takes hold of the runner knob b clockwork motor transmits.its movement to the shaft 20'! and the cam 204 which rotating at aconstant speed owing to a speed regulator 246, opens at a regularcadency the contact 205-205. The drum 2l3 being drawn by the shaft 201,the finger 2% comes in engagement with the teeth 225 of the call plateand is pushed inside. Consequently the finger 2M closes the contact 2|5-2l 6 which short-circuits the microphone and the receiver and opens thecontact 2 |5 --2 I5 so that according to the length of the row of teethupon which said finger passes, a certain number of interruptions andelectric current impulses, caused by the operation of the contact 205206are produced in the line. The finger 2M thus passes over the variousportions of the row of teeth ('7 for Paris as already mentioned) makinga complete turn equal to one revolution at the end of which thepreliminary operations before obtaining the connections are ended.Before the end of this turn the abutment 240 frees the lever 24! whichunder the action of its return spring 241, looks the disc 244 and thecam 25% as soon as the turn is ended.

It will easily be understood that the apparatus could be reduced so asto comprise one slot only for one single removable call plate, whichwould be taken from a separate case. The short circuit switch would thenbe fixed in the longitudinal direction and the runner as well as thefork would not be necessary. The aforesaid slot could then be made in aprojection of the frame itself, the box 221 being omitted.

In a modified mode of execution shown in Fig. 6, the shaft 201 isprovided with a concentric sleeve 2&8 which may slide by means of a key249 engaged in a slot provided in the sleeve. The latter carries at oneend a crown 250 which, when the sleeve slides upon the shaft compressesthe spring 25L thus opening the contact 2l5 2 l5 and closing the contact2l6 -2I6 A part 252 provided with a slot 253 which may be moved by meansof a fork in the same manner as the drum 2 I3 in the apparatuspreviously described is engaged upon the sleeve 248. This part 252 iscaused to rotate with the sleeve 248 by any suitable means. A long rod254 integral with the crown 259 and passing through the part 252 may beprovided to this end. A small radial cylinder 255 in which a finger 256,substituted for the finger 2M in the previously described apparatus issecured upon the part 252. The finger 256 is acted upon by a spring 251designed to cause the outer end of said finger to project out of thecylinder. Its other end is suitably bevelled at 256% and, wheninoperative is always opposite a notch 248 in the sleeve 248 but itsback edge is slightly out of position relatively to the edge of saidnotch, so that when the teeth 225 of a call plate 225 engage the finger256 as the latter rotates and forces it back, the bevel 256 will pressupon the notch 248 and cause it to move slightly back. The sliding ofthe sleeve which results will cause the above mentioned operations totake place, i. e. the opening of the contact 2l5 2 E5 and the closing ofthe contact Nth-#58 which have the same functions as in the apparatusfirst described.

This new mode of execution will have the important advantage of avoidingthe use of the bars 2t9 -2 E0 and of the crowns 2I'l 2 I8 andconsequently of every frictional contact.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis:

1. An apparatus for making calls in automatic telephony, comprising aframe, a rotary shaft carried by said frame, a switch slidable withrespect to said shaft and rotatable therewith, a box carried by saidframe, a plurality of parallel plates situated within said box, eachplate being provided with a central opening and a notch per-- mittingthe passage of said switch through the plate, the longitudinal axis ofsaid shaft coinciding with an axis passing through the middle of thecentral openings, each plate being provided with teeth formed on thecircumference of the central opening and adapted to engage said switch,the teeth of each plate being adapted to actuate said switch apredetermined number of times to call a station corresponding to acertain plate, an interrupter adapted to be rotated at a constant speed,and a contact interposed in a telephone line and actuated by saidinterrupter, the terminals of said switch being shunted with respect tothe terminals of the last-mentioned contact.

2. An apparatus for making calls in automatic telephony comprising aframe, a rotary shaft carried by said frame, a switch slidable withrespect to said shaft and rotatable therewith, a box carried by saidframe and having a plurality of parallel slots, 'a plurality of plates,each plate being situated in a separate slot, said box being providedwith at least one longitudinal slot intersecti-ng the first-mentionedslots, at least one separate pawl carried by each plate and adapted toengage the last-mentioned longitudinal slot, each plate being providedwith a central opening and a notch permitting the passage of said switchthrough the plate, the longitudinal axis of said shaft coinciding withan axis passing through the middle of the central openings, each platebeing provided with teeth formed on the circumference of the centralopening and adapted to engage said switch, the teeth of each plate beingadapted to actuate said switch a predetermined number of times to call astation corresponding to a certain plate, an interrupter adapted to berotated at a constant speed, and a contact interposed in a telephoneline and actuated by said interrupter, the terminals of said switchbeing shunted with respect to the terminals of the last-mentionedcontact.

3. An apparatus for making calls in automatic telephony, comprising aframe, a rotary shaft carried by said frame, a drum keyed upon saidshaft and slidable with respect thereto, a forkshaped member engaging aslot formed in said drum, a runner-knob integral with said member andadapted to move said drum with respect to said shaft, a switch carriedby said drum, a box carried by said frame, a plurality of parallelplates situated within said box, each plate being provided with acentral opening and a notch permitting the passage of said switch, saiddrum and said runner-knob through the plate, the longitudinal axis ofsaid shaft coinciding with an axis opening through the middle of thecentral openings, each plate being provided with teeth formed on thecircumference of the central opening and adapted to engage said switch,the teeth of each plate being adapted to actuate said switch apredetermined number of times to call a station corresponding to acertain plate, an interrupter adapted to be rotated at a constant speed,and a contact interposed in a telephone line and actu ated by saidinterrupter, the terminals of said switch being shunted with respect tothe terminals of the last-mentioned contact.

4. An apparatus for making calls in automatic telephony, comprising aframe, a rotary shaft carried by said frame, a switch slidable withrespect to said shaft and rotatable therewith, a driving fingerconnected with said switch, a removable and replaceable plate carried bysaid frame, said plate being provided with a central opening and havingteeth formed on the circumference of said opening and adapted to operatesaid finger a predetermined number of times to call a stationcorresponding to said plate, an interrupter adapted to be rotated at aconstant speed, and a contact interposed in a telephone line andactuated by said interrupter, the terminals of said switch being shuntedwith respect to the terminals of the last-mentioned contact.

ALFRED BOYE'I.

